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MadBum in rare company with season's second slam

Giants pitcher second in history with two four-run homers in one campaign

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Bumgarner's grand slam 1:10

7/13/14: Madison Bumgarner hits a grand slam, the second for the Giants today, and increases the lead to 8-1 in the 6th inning

By Daniel Popper
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MLB.com |

In the bottom of the sixth inning of Sunday's series finale against the D-backs, Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.

Reliever Matt Stites delivered a 98 mph first-pitch fastball, and Bumgarner pounced on it, smacking a line drive down the left-field line that cleared the fence for his second grand slam of the season. The other came against the Rockies on April 11.

"It's crazy I've even gotten that many opportunities," Bumgarner said after the Giants' 8-4 victory. "As a pitcher, you don't get that opportunity very often. It was just fortunate for me to happen to run into one. That guy was throwing really hard. I just tried to do something to help us."

With his long ball Sunday, Bumgarner became just the second pitcher in history to hit two grand slams in one season. Braves right-hander Tony Cloninger is the only other pitcher to accomplish the feat, and he hit both his grand slams in one game against the Giants on July 3, 1966.

The impressive performance made Cloninger the first National League player to hit two grand slams in a game, and he remains the only pitcher to ever do so.

Bumgarner's grand slam Sunday continued one of the best hitting seasons from a pitcher in recent memory. He has three home runs and 12 RBIs this year. The last pitcher to post those numbers in a full season was Carlos Zambrano in 2008.

"He gets the bat out front out there, he gives you good at-bats and that's something that wins games for you when these pitchers can help themselves," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Daniel Popper is an associate reporter for MLB.com. He can be found on Twitter @danielrpopper. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.